Changing perceptions to escape poverty

The high number of women of childbearing age puts pressure on the birth rate, the number of children born and the number of third or subsequent births remain high, coupled with the prevailing desire to have more children, especially sons,... These are some of the difficulties and challenges for many localities in Cam Khe district in improving the quality of the population and aiming for sustainable poverty reduction.

Gradually overcoming difficulties and diversifying forms of propaganda and mobilization according to the motto "slow and steady wins the race" to change people's awareness and actions is a regular task that the population work team in Cam Khe district is actively implementing...

Population officials in Ngo Xa commune are communicating and introducing contraceptive methods and reproductive health care services to women.

As is customary, every Thursday afternoon, the public address system in Ngo Xa commune broadcasts news and articles about population work. At the same time, on key days for reproductive health care campaigns, World Thalassemia Day, etc., news and announcements are also broadcast to inform the general public. Coordination in public awareness campaigns is also carried out flexibly and appropriately to the local conditions.

Having been involved in local population work for many years, Ms. Phan Thi Huyen, a population officer in Ngo Xa commune, shared: “Due to religious beliefs, many Catholic women do not dare to openly admit that they use contraception. In Ngo Xa, the methods, content, and forms of propaganda and education are always innovated to suit the psychology, customs, and traditions of the locality. The main content focuses on promoting and encouraging reduced birth rates and the number of third or subsequent children, addressing gender imbalance at birth, and activities to improve the quality of the population.” Thanks to the persistent implementation of communication and mobilization measures, the commune's poverty rate has been reduced to 8.16%.

Recognizing that communication and behavioral change advocacy are crucial components of the population/reproductive health/family planning program, the District Health Center has, since the beginning of the year, advised and issued plans to strengthen communication and education efforts to change people's behavior regarding population/reproductive health/family planning. These efforts have been innovative and diverse in content and form, employing various models suitable to the psychology, customs, and traditions of each locality and target group; focusing on particularly disadvantaged communes and communes with a large Catholic population.

Accordingly, in the first nine months of 2024, the Center coordinated with the Department of Education and Training to organize 25 extracurricular activities and thematic talks on gender, adolescent and youth reproductive health care, and child abuse prevention. Communes and towns in the district organized communication activities to reduce gender imbalance at birth; maintained the operation of 15 exemplary girls' clubs and 6 friendly corners in junior high schools; organized 24 communication conferences on elderly health care for over 960 people; and distributed 5,000 leaflets promoting elderly health care.

The District Health Center, in coordination with women's associations in communes and towns, organized 138 direct communication conferences on reproductive health care/family planning for nearly 4,000 mothers with adolescent children, maintaining the operation of 24 clubs for mothers with adolescent children and 287 women's groups that discourage having a third child or more. Visual propaganda activities with 144 banners contributed to raising people's awareness of population and development policies... Through these efforts, people have understood that reproductive health care/family planning is essential, a way to escape poverty, and that their children receive better education and care.

Ms. Vu Thi Hong Nhung, residing in Trung Thuan 1 area, Yen Tap commune, shared: “With our current economic conditions, my husband and I could easily have more children without worrying too much about the cost. However, after receiving information about family planning from the commune's population officials and community population collaborators, our family decided to stop at two children so we can raise them well and focus on our work and economic development.”

Thanks to innovation and diversification of forms, methods, and content of communication tailored to each locality and target group, the effectiveness of population work has been enhanced in the new context, thereby practically contributing to building a prosperous and happy life and reducing poverty caused by large families.

Hong Nhung

Source: https://baophutho.vn/thay-doi-nhan-thuc-de-thoat-ngheo-222022.htm